The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finally spoken out about the risks posed by fracking to drinking water supplies. The Trump Administration seems very unlikely to head the warning.
Coral Davenport reports: "The Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that hydraulic fracturing, the oil and gas extraction technique also known as fracking, has contaminated drinking water in some circumstances, according to the final version of a comprehensive study first issued in 2015."
Davenport that the alarm level raised a great deal between the draft version and the final version, the latter released in December 2016.
A separate article by Jared Keller puts the findings of the report another way: "After months of anticipation, the Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed what environmental activists have long believed: Hydraulic fracturing (or fracking), long seen by oil and gas companies as the future of domestic energy production in the United States, carries a significant human cost."
Davenport's reporting frames the report more in context of the likely environmental regulation policies of the incoming Trump Administration: "President-elect Donald J. Trump has vowed to expand fracking and roll back existing regulations on the process."
FULL STORY: Reversing Course, E.P.A. Says Fracking Can Contaminate Drinking Water
Undoing Biden's EV Rule
The partisan divide over how government should reduce greenhouse gas emissions was on full display after the Biden administration finalized its emissions standards rule for light and medium duty vehicles on March 20.
Supreme Court Guts the U.S. EPA’s Ability to Limit Carbon Emissions
The consequences of this ruling have long been foretold. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now officially barred from the fight against climate change, Congress will have to act to reduce carbon emissions.
The Trump Administration's Trail of Broken Environmental Regulations
Critics of the Trump administration who chide the president for a lack of accomplishments should check the environmental record.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service